Database Info

[Q] CWM Recovery question

I have been searching through the forums and have been able to find answers to a few of my questions. However I have been away so long and previous phone MT3G was so much easier to work with than the SGS4G I'm a little lost on some of the jargon.
I managed to get the amazing Bionix frost rom installed and working. Here is my question.
I was able to get CWM on my phone to flash the rom, now when I boot to recovery I am getting the stock recovery screen but if I select reinstall packages I get the CWM Recovery v3.0.2.8. On my MT3G when I booted into recovery the CWM screen was the first thing I saw, I just want to confirm that this is the normal and or correct method to access CWM on my SG4G.
thanks in advance for your responses.

flash dr honks kernel. that will make sure everything is correct with CWM. that should fix any issues you are having. If you have any questions let me know. Its not too bad. I think its easier using ODIN but you can do it either way.

That is the normal process for bionix. It uses an older cwm stock. Search for the Bali 3.3UV kernel. Once you flash that, you will go straight to cwm. plus other stuff. Read his op. Once you undervolt on frost...omg. That battery life is out of control
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium

Click on the Bali + CWM link in my signature. You might as well start learning how to use Odin.

Glad to know you started some reading on your own! FBis251's Odin Bali 3.3 makes flashing Froyo so much easier.
Here's five of the most valuable things I've learned so far:
1) Odin is your friend.
2) Losing your soft brick virginity isn't a bad thing. QQ if it's a hard brick though. Nothing in this forum would really give you a hard brick though.
3) The Bible is quite holy. Don't read it and you'll get some sort of punishment from the community.
4) Reading is fundamental.
5) The developers are awesome!
Not in any specific order. XD
You should try out the GB ROMs here once you get more comfortable flashing on this phone. They're crazy smooth.

Thanks all.
I have been going through the "Bible" each visit to the site. That's where I was able to figure out how to get the Bionix Frost rom working on my phone. And because I missed a few steps like making sure the permissions were correct before flashing I experienced my first soft brick. Which took another 3hrs of reading and playing with Odin to get fixed. But that's what I love about this site. Everyone is so knowledgeable and willing to help. It was't to hard to find out where I messed up and how to fix it. I appreciate all the help, I will start with FB's Bali+CWM upgrade and then I'm hoping to flash Valhalla. The rom looks amazing.

FBis251 said:
Click on the Bali + CWM link in my signature. You might as well start learning how to use Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again FB, just followed your guide and now am enjoying the red CWM. Quick question, with this setup I can now flash any FROYO roms directly from CWM correct? The GB roms however like Valhalla will require the GB bootloaders.

Locobato said:
Thanks again FB, just followed your guide and now am enjoying the red CWM. Quick question, with this setup I can now flash any FROYO roms directly from CWM correct? The GB roms however like Valhalla will require the GB bootloaders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct.

[Q] Multiple Questions - Backup Issues, Installing a New ROM, etc.

Hello everyone. This is my first post, so please be gentle. I've been reading around and I can't seem to find specific answers to my questions so I figured it would be best to make a post. This is my first Android phone and also the first phone I have rooted so I'm trying to be extra careful. I've already received tons of help from other threads in these forums, but as I said I've still got a few questions.
I rooted my SGS4G using SuperOneClick v2.1.1, then proceeded to install CWM ROM Manager as per the instructions I found in many articles online. Once I got that installed I was unable to make backups as it would boot me into the stock recovery menu, which led me here searching for answers. That is when I came across this thread: [RECOVERY]CWM FINAL for the SGS4G After following the instructions I wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I attempted to boot into the "new" recovery menu which ended at an infinite boot logo, which I assumed was a soft brick after reading around a bit.
After thoroughly freaking out about my phone being bricked I looked around a bit more and came across this thread: [GUIDE] Noobs guide to Odin to flash your SGS4G (Windows) Following that thread I was able to install the T959VUVKB5 Stock + Root ROM which restored my soft brick. Once that was installed I installed CWM ROM Manager again thinking the Recovery Menu would be fixed and I could finally make a backup before moving on, but it wasn't. Then I came across this thread: [Odin][Kernel] drhonk's Bali 3.3 for Froyo, Installs CWM!
After installing drhonk's Bali 3.3 for Froyo kernel I was finally able to make a single nandroid backup (and backup my apps using Titanium Backup)! I messed around on the phone for a few days with no issues (other than the Android flickering in the boot logo). Now I am ready to move on to trying out a few ROMS. So, first thing first I said: I need to make another backup. So I entered the Recovery Menu via the CWM ROM Manager and attempted to make another backup, and this is what I get:
E: failed to open /etc..... (I couldn't write fast enough to copy the entire message)
E: unknown volume for path [/sdcard] (10s)
The second of which repeated over and over until it reached 0s and then my phone was rebooted.
TL;DR
- Rooted using SuperOneClick
- Installed ROM Manager and couldn't make a nandroid backup correctly
- Attempted to install CWM FINAL for the SGS4G, which resulted in a soft brick
- Restored using ODIN and installed T959VUVKB5 Stock + Root ROM and drhonk's Bali 3.3 for Froyo kernel
- Cannot make nandroid backups (other than the initial one apparently), Recovery Menu does not seem to be working correctly
- I am not comfortable trying new ROMs until I am able to make backups correctly
Anyway, so here are my questions:
1. What do I need to install to allow me to make nandroid backups correctly? Or is there another app besides CWM ROM Manager that will allow me to do this?
2. I would like to try a few other ROMs, but I when I reach the so-called "Do the mounting stuff" step I am unable to continue as my Recovery Menu isn't working correctly. What do I need to install in order to be able to do complete this step? I have a feeling the answer to #1 will solve #2 as well.
3. I would like to try a few of the GB ROMs (such as Valhalla v1.3.2 or Stock Gingerbread 2.3.3 Deodexed + Root), but I am not sure exactly where to go from here. Is the GB Ext4 Starter Pack the way I need to go, or would this way be better? Can I do either of these without a working Recovery Menu?
Thanks in advance for all the help!

Your first mistake was rom manager. It does not work for this phone correctly. Odin one of Dr honks kernels to get cwm recovery. They are in the dev section.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium

im not sure how many times this has been posted (i think i say this once a day....) but rom manager DOES NOT WORK ON THIS PHONE.
it is fine. if you can wait a day or two, i will make a nice noob guide on getting from stock to a custom rom. i will be sure to link every pertinent thread and be sure to have a little FAQ section. hopefully it will help you.

Exodian said:
Your first mistake was rom manager. It does not work for this phone correctly. Odin one of Dr honks kernels to get cwm recovery. They are in the dev section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said in the post, I've already installed drhonk's Bali 3.3 for froyo kernel.
jager555 said:
im not sure how many times this has been posted (i think i say this once a day....) but rom manager DOES NOT WORK ON THIS PHONE.
it is fine. if you can wait a day or two, i will make a nice noob guide on getting from stock to a custom rom. i will be sure to link every pertinent thread and be sure to have a little FAQ section. hopefully it will help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I figured that out shortly after installing it. What alternative are we supposed to use? Hopefully your noob guide will help.

are you sure you understand? seeing as you mentioned BOTH bali and krylon's cwm, yet you still do not know how to get the custom recovery on the phone. once again, i will write a nice guide for you, so for now, just odin back to stock and give me a day or two. once im out of work, i will take a nap and write this for you.

jager555 said:
are you sure you understand? seeing as you mentioned BOTH bali and krylon's cwm, yet you still do not know how to get the custom recovery on the phone. once again, i will write a nice guide for you, so for now, just odin back to stock and give me a day or two. once im out of work, i will take a nap and write this for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently I do not understand. I guess I will just wait for your guide. Hopefully it will pick up where the other guides failed (for me anyway).
Edit: After reading around a bit I think I understand where I went wrong. As a noob I was confusing CWM with ROM Manager (after all, they're both made by the same people right? I believe that's what was confusing me ). I have since uninstalled ROM Manager and have booted to the Recovery Menu and successfully made a backup.

I myself have been a member for coming up on one year. And when I originally joined I was modding my Mytouch 3G. Much easier phone to mod and especially with ROM manager. This phone on the other hand requires more attention to detail. It is very important to do your due diligence to research this site for answers before posting. The reason is, all the wonderful and talented folks making all this possible are providing us all these great hacks, cracks, and roms for free. The information is here if you just look for it. Now if you are having trouble understanding the info that is also understandable. I find questions are better received if you show everyone what you have researched and then say what your are confused about.
Enough of the lecture, the end result is that everyone here is really nice and helpful. Here are the 3 links you should save. The Bible lists everything about our phone. Now at this stage in the game unless you really want to get more background on how the phone has evolved from Froyo to GB you won't need to read the Bible. The first thing you will need to do is follow the instructions for Bali 3.3 + CWM. This will provide you with the Red CWM recovery making it possible for you to flash Froyo Roms. Once you have completed this step you can move on to the GB Starter Pack. This guide will prepare your phone with the correct bootloaders it requires to run GB Roms. Once this process has been completed you can flash GB Roms. And if you need a quick list of the roms available just look in the Bible. Hope this helps, just be patient and make sure you understand what you are reading and attempting before doing anything. And if you don't understand a step or a process then come and ask and you'll get better answers and better understanding of what you're actually doing to your phone.
SGS4G Bible
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1117554
Bali 3.3 + CWM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1195860
GB Starter Pack
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1223765

Thanks for the help. I tried to do as much research as I could before posting (as you can see, I've posted two of the three links you suggested in my OP, and I basically keep the Bible open at all times ). It's just the little things that I find confusing, which is why I posted this thread. It's nice to know that from this point I can proceed to the GB Starter Pack and play around with the GB ROMs, but I think I'd like to try a few Froyo ROMs before I take that step Thanks for confirming that!

Sorry for the double post but I have another question.....
I've been reading over FB's GB Ext4 Starter Pack thread and I just wanted to make sure that once you get to the part where you flash your "favorite GB rom" that Valhalla v1.3.2 would be an acceptable ROM to flash there. If not, which ROM should I flash first, then flash Valhalla? Thanks in advance.

Yes, Valhalla would be fine to flash at that point (any version). just as long as you went through each step of the directions first. you'll be fine.

I'm new on rooting a phone and I need help please guy's could anyone help me. Thanks

Hello there guy's I'm new with rooted charge phones. Well guy's last night I did a stupid thing with my phone.. I accidentally updates my phone with the new OTA FP1 with rooted rom. Well guy's now my phone is screwing up.
So I followed few steps on at XDA.. How to fix my phone.. So I got my phone on stock rom and also I got the new update OTA FP1.
Well guy's I need some help on rooting this phone with the new update stock OTA FP1 rom.
The person who help me on rooting my phones he left to a church mission at south Africa.
Could any one please guide me on steps on rooting this phone on the new stock Rom (FP1) rooted also includes radios, kernel.
Please I need help guides steps with this phone issues because I'm not great person on rooting.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium

sgtkillspot said:
Hello there guy's I'm new with rooted charge phones. Well guy's last night I did a stupid thing with my phone.. I accidentally updates my phone with the new OTA FP1 with rooted rom. Well guy's now my phone is screwing up.
So I followed few steps on at XDA.. How to fix my phone.. So I got my phone on stock rom and also I got the new update OTA FP1.
Well guy's I need some help on rooting this phone with the new update stock OTA FP1 rom.
The person who help me on rooting my phones he left to a church mission at south Africa.
Could any one please guide me on steps on rooting this phone on the new stock Rom (FP1) rooted also includes radios, kernel.
Please I need help guides steps with this phone issues because I'm not great person on rooting.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Follow direction #5:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1560117

re
I was fuclking frustrated when trying to CWM / ROOT / CUSTOM rom my charge.
I have rooted and installed more roms than i can shake a stick at with my other phones.
But the lack of information on sooooo many of the dev threads that leave out soooooooooooooooooooooooo much info made my head spin.
First of all.
Odin is a program that you can install clockword mod with, as well as some custom roms.
Clockwork mod is a recovery / install tool that you install to be able to install custom roms and packages.
Even installing clockwork mod is a hassle, often you have to install it with odin and select, dont auto reboot. then pull the usb and then the battery.. then you have to hit the VolumeUp button + power + home to get into cwm.. and hopefully it will stick..
Once you get cwm installed you have to download a rom..
There are many of them, i went with a package that you load via odin instead of installing from clockwork mod.
i went with a package that was a stock 2.3.6 with root.
after i installed it, it was recommended that you wipe devlink cache, system cache.
finally after i rebooted i finally had a rom that was rooted.
This was after 2+ hours of searching through threads, downloading way too much crap and swearing at my computer for the lack of quality directions.
Usually XDA is rife with STICKYS that are easy to follow.
The charge forum is quite the opposite.
If i was not tired / drunk and frustrated i would post a correct HOW TO thread.. that i would imagine would not get stickied.

sprintrjm said:
I was fuclking frustrated when trying to CWM / ROOT / CUSTOM rom my charge.
I have rooted and installed more roms than i can shake a stick at with my other phones.
But the lack of information on sooooo many of the dev threads that leave out soooooooooooooooooooooooo much info made my head spin.
First of all.
Odin is a program that you can install clockword mod with, as well as some custom roms.
Clockwork mod is a recovery / install tool that you install to be able to install custom roms and packages.
Even installing clockwork mod is a hassle, often you have to install it with odin and select, dont auto reboot. then pull the usb and then the battery.. then you have to hit the VolumeUp button + power + home to get into cwm.. and hopefully it will stick..
Once you get cwm installed you have to download a rom..
There are many of them, i went with a package that you load via odin instead of installing from clockwork mod.
i went with a package that was a stock 2.3.6 with root.
after i installed it, it was recommended that you wipe devlink cache, system cache.
finally after i rebooted i finally had a rom that was rooted.
This was after 2+ hours of searching through threads, downloading way too much crap and swearing at my computer for the lack of quality directions.
Usually XDA is rife with STICKYS that are easy to follow.
The charge forum is quite the opposite.
If i was not tired / drunk and frustrated i would post a correct HOW TO thread.. that i would imagine would not get stickied.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bro, no need to get frustrated, you tried too hard to learn all at once. Let talk about what you have on your phone and what you want to achieve? I will take you through step by step.
Another thing I want to clear with you about Odin and CWM. They both are two useful tools to flash rom/kernel etc.. If kernel or full rom image are created in a ZIP format or extension, you use cwm. If a rom/kernel created in a MD5 format or extension, you would use Odin.
For example; the new FP1 kernel was made in both format so you have a choice to use either to flash.
Summary:
1. If the file ended with ZIP extension like "FP1_kernel.ZIP", you would use CWM to flash.
2. If the file ended with MD5 extension like "FP1_kernel.MD5", then you would use Odin to flash.
In order to use cwm, it has to be installed on your phone. cwm was created in MD5 extension, so you need to use Odin to install cwm to your phone. Once cwm installed on your phone, in order to access it, you need to hold Vol up+home+power button to get to it, then you can use it to flash zip file.
Odin is an execution PC file (.exe), you download and install on your PC and it used to flash MD5 file. In order for Odin to talk to your phone, you have to put your phone in "download mode". By remove battery, plug in usb cable between your PC and phone, press Vol down button, this will put your phone in download mode, now you re insert battery back to ensure a stable data transfer between your PC and phone. Without put back battery, data transfer may fail. After this, Odin is ready to flash Md5 file to your phone.
Like I said, let me know what's on your phone and what you want to achieve, I can help you step by step to get it done. After you have some practice, you will understand what involved and how to use them. Cheers!!!

re
yeah.. i should have just read through the forums a day or so to figure out the odin / rooting / rom process for this phone.
But i am a seasoned vet in the android world and got pretty frustrated, mainly because a few of the other xda forums made me a little jaded by the process.
I have a fully functioning 2.3.6 rooted charge with CWM and the edited build prop to keep the Unwanted ota updates from bugging me.
Thanks for not flaming the f-out of me.
BTW have yall come across a thread about sandblasting or sandpapering the back cover of the phone to make it less slippery? I have sweaty f-ing hand, i know gross, but its a slippery phone for me.

sprintrjm said:
yeah.. i should have just read through the forums a day or so to figure out the odin / rooting / rom process for this phone.
But i am a seasoned vet in the android world and got pretty frustrated, mainly because a few of the other xda forums made me a little jaded by the process.
I have a fully functioning 2.3.6 rooted charge with CWM and the edited build prop to keep the Unwanted ota updates from bugging me.
Thanks for not flaming the f-out of me.
BTW have yall come across a thread about sandblasting or sandpapering the back cover of the phone to make it less slippery? I have sweaty f-ing hand, i know gross, but its a slippery phone for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a problem, you can get a back cover from ebay for a few bucks and it will do the trick.
Seems like you already knew how to handle cwm, why don't you flash (using cwm) FP1 eclipse rom, kernel and radio, so you will be on the latest O/S?

[Q] NEEd help bricked my phone!

Hi guys I'm new to this flashing etc world. I used rom manager and installed the wrong clokworldmod and my phone only loads samsung galaxy s 4g screen. I saw the thread about not using rom manager but I already did yesterdey. I'm trying to gain access to download mode with odin but I'm not able to get in!

Drake316PR said:
Hi guys I'm new to this flashing etc world. I used rom manager and installed the wrong clokworldmod and my phone only loads samsung galaxy s 4g screen. I saw the thread about not using rom manager but I already did yesterdey. I'm trying to gain access to download mode with odin but I'm not able to get in!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, ROM Manager is a bad thing when it comes to our phone.
ODIN does not put your phone in download mode. There are numerous ways to accomplish that and those are outlined in a few different posts here as well as the wiki.
Do you know if you were on Froyo or Gingerbread before you tried to flash something? Also, what ROM did you try to flash? Going from Froyo to Gingerbread, and vice versa, requires you to flash the proper boot loaders.
I suggest checking out Lumin30's [GUIDES] Fresh out of box Galaxy S 4G [SOLVED] | Heimdall One-Click For Dummies. Awesome guides and they should get you back to a working status.

Reply
I was on Gingerbread 2.3.6 something like that, I wanted to flash to Vahalla Black but didn't even get close to that process sorry for my english. I will check the guides thanks for the fast respond! Thanks again already on download mode!

No worries on the English; you did quite well
Let us know how it goes and if you need help. There are plenty of us here that can help. Once you get the one-click installed, you should be able to flash Valhalla Black with no problem.
Good luck!

Just fine I think
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium

Thanks!!
Thank you very much!! Fixed my phone thanks to you and XDA! I will try to install a custom rom this time I hope to do it well thanks to the links you provided.

Question about flashing ROM
Hi, I fell I'm missing something I don't know where to start so I can flash my already rooted phone with Vahalla Black. Sometimes I read use CWM, other post dont use it,etc I feel lost here. Could you just let me know what I need to flash, software etc.

Drake316PR said:
Hi, I fell I'm missing something I don't know where to start so I can flash my already rooted phone with Vahalla Black. Sometimes I read use CWM, other post dont use it,etc I feel lost here. Could you just let me know what I need to flash, software etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the method in the guide in the first link of my signature. Look for Flashing Custom ROM's. You will be using CWM to get Valhalla Black on your phone. The guide has step by step directions.

Root Help

Hey everyone.
Im generally pretty savvy with androids. I rooted and S-offed my HTC Desire, I had a nexus S for a bit until it got ran over... Now im stuck with this Galaxy S 4G, which has been nothing but headaches because for some reason... this thing is impossible to root to me. Ive tried Hemidall, Super1clicks, Odin etc..
Can someone please just point me in the direction of rooting this POS? Im hoping that once its rooted and running stock, I wont hate this thing as much... because so far, Its a horrible purchase.
I just need someone to post a link to where I need to be. Ive searched.. and im absolutely lost. Even the Rootz wiki was useless to me.
Thanks.
Model Number - SGH-T959W
Android Version 2.3.6

You might not have any luck this is the T-959V and your phone might not be supported
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda app-developers app

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=28566711&postcount=15
Read that then understand what bhundven means by DONT FLASH BOOTLOADERS!!
You can use the heimdall one clicks he created to get root access and then flash any rom that DOESNT HAVE BOOTLOADERS INCLUDED. That means do not use gremlin remover period. Once you get rooted make a backup and keep it stored in as many places as possible. If you flash the ics variants you will have to use the stock kj6 HOC and then need to flash the HOC for antonx kernel to get root back. At that point you can flash your nandroid or whatever rom you want. AGAIN AS LONG AS IT DOESNT HAVE BOOTLOADERS included.

eollie said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=28566711&postcount=15
Read that then understand what bhundven means by DONT FLASH BOOTLOADERS!!
You can use the heimdall one clicks he created to get root access and then flash any rom that DOESNT HAVE BOOTLOADERS INCLUDED. That means do not use gremlin remover period. Once you get rooted make a backup and keep it stored in as many places as possible. If you flash the ics variants you will have to use the stock kj6 HOC and then need to flash the HOC for antonx kernel to get root back. At that point you can flash your nandroid or whatever rom you want. AGAIN AS LONG AS IT DOESNT HAVE BOOTLOADERS included.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea what youre talking about. Sorry
I used the Hemidall, and only got an unrooted Tmobile rom.. Im not sure where exactly i get root from this

Meh, forget it... im selling this phone. There is no convincing me to ever buy anything from Sammy again unless its a Nexus line.
HTC or Nexus forever.
Thanks guys

Reading is hard

"Can I get step by step directions please?"
Sure, here you are!
"What?! Your not going to remotely root my phone for me? F this place"
Good luck sir, you have the patience of a saint and the drive of a tiger!

OK let's be honest you gave up kinda quick.......
The forum that eollie linked you to was a forum talking about the phone that you bought, which is an apparent offshoot of the t-959v and according to what Masonite found out, "our" roms work on the t-959w but you cannot flash the bootloaders.
Here is the one click link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1358498 just boot into download mode and use this but absolutely don't flash bootloaders and it should be OK, no promises.
Eollie was right for linking you there, all the info you needed about your model phone was on that forum, that one click is in the dev sticky which everybody should read.
There has been a flood of people not researching a little bit first before posting and that's why people flamed you but you should not give up, its a good phone and our devs are dedicated and have put in a lot of time on this model, you should be happy your phone can even support all the great roms that are available.
I'm not being mean but seriously, come on, all the info is there, no need to get mad.
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda premium
Edit: or Google search how to use heimdall if your confused, I learn off a damn YouTube video..........
Our devs didn't create heimdall and don't support it but it is a great program and the dev has to build the individual one click for the phone, we should be happy to have it that easily available.

Reading the whole thread you got linked to is really hard. Phone-bricking hard

FBis251 said:
Reading the whole thread you got linked to is really hard. Phone-bricking hard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha I know but but I believe in you lmao
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda premium

You'll need to flash one of the back to stock files that you got linked to in that thread which will put you on stock GB with no root. DO NOT FLASH THE BOOTLOADERS. You'll very likely brick if you do.
After this download the AntonX kernel from bhundven's one click thread and flash that. That will give you a custom kernel with CWM built in and root.
Needless to say, this is all for the SGH-T959V which theoretically should work on the SGH-T959W. As you'll read any disclaimer on this forum, you're resposible for anything you flash and the damage that may occur to your device.

Thanks for that fb I forgot a few steps if he wants to be on mtd roms, I assumed he could read from that point............ but your right for knowing better
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda premium

Thank you very much, and I'm sorry for getting angry. I've had this phone for almost 4 months now, and haven't been able to do anything with it. Quite frustrating.
So, I currently have the Tmobile ROM on my phone, so I'm halfway there it appears!
I'm going to download the other ROM as soon as I get home.
Thanks so much! Next up.. Learning to flash with Odin, and not ROM manager.

It seemed like everything I tried wasn't working with 2.3.6. Superoneclick etc.
I was waiting for a new exploit, but it never came. I tried YouTube tutorials, text directions.. Everything would fail, or give me "read only" errors. I feared bricking, so I stopped.. But I searched the forum and came across the thread he linked me to, but it said no bootloaders, and all the ones I saw had bootloaders. Wasn't until tonight that I noticed it's a 2 part flash process, with the second being the bootloaders.
I think I started this thread at 3am.
Lesson learned.

In heimdall, you can click a little box that says "flash bootloaders" to toggle flashing them on and off! .... or maybe it was odin? I can't remember... been a while since I used them!

After being away for the weekend, I came home, and BAM... fully rooted. Amazing! and FINALLY!!!
Thanks everyone for your help...
I just have another issue.
I wanna flash this ROM http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1305145
It says its CWM.. but there is a huge disclaimer that we shouldn't use ROM Manager on the development page, which is a bit confusing. Since this ROM isnt Odin flashable... what do i do?
Thanks again.

So I was confused about this when I first started. I'm not at my computer but I can help. In order to flash Roms via cmw you have to turn off your phone hold both volume rockers on the phone then hold the power button and hold till you get into cwm recovery. That will get you into cmw recovery mode. Then wipe data factory rest, from there go back to the main menu and select the install zip from sd card and find the zip file you want to flash and select it and install. Should be good to go.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda app-developers app

Nevermind... im a complete goon. I got it, lol.
Thanks